Improved Understanding of Managing Stormwater in Rural Areas

A.D. Latornell – November 22, 2013Alec M. Scott, P. Eng

Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority

Overview

• Does the past inform the future?

• A new approach - Rural Stormwater Management Model

Changing Rural Landscape

• Intensification of land use

• Influence of development along Lake Huron

•1955•1966

•1975•1978•1989

•1999•2006

www.ruralstormwater.com

Where?Where?

Lake HuronSoutheast

Shoreshealthylakehuron.cahealthylakehuron.ca

Sarnia to Tobermory

Five Priority Watershedshealthylakehuron.cahealthylakehuron.ca

Pine River North Shore (Garvey

Creek and Glenn Drain) Bayfield North (Gullies) Main Bayfield Lambton Shores

What?What?

Rural Stormwater Rural Stormwater Management ModelManagement Model

ProjectProject The Healthy Lake Huron: Clean Water, Clean

Beaches Initiative was created to reduce contamination along the southeast shores of Lake

Huron This project is to create a new Rural Stormwater

Management Model that will allow us to better understand and manage rural stormwater and limit

impact of runoff on water quality

Why?Why?

EffectiveEffective There is currently no model with the detail needed about

stormwater movement and management in a ruralcontext

Prioritization of Stewardship projects Better understanding of storm flows in rural areas

Who?Who?

Rural Stormwater Rural Stormwater Management ModelManagement Model

ProjectProjectAusable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA)

is taking the lead in this partnership project, on behalf of the Healthy Lake Huron

Executive Steering Committee (Lake Huron Southeast Shores)

Project Team PartnershipProject Team Partnership Healthy Lake Huron: Clean Water, Clean Beaches

(Lake Huron Southeast Shores) Executive Steering Committee (22 members)

Province of Ontario (MOE, OMAFRA, MMAH, MNR) Canada (Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans

Canada, Parks Canada) Counties and health units – Huron, Bruce, Lambton

Environmental agencies Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (lead)

Maitland Valley Conservation Authority St. Clair Region Conservation Authority Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority Grey-Sauble Conservation Authority

Other PartnersOther Partners Farmers and other landowners Watershed communities

Universities and/or consultants Other agencies and community groups

Projected BenefitsProjected Benefits

Preserve topsoil and limit erosion

Reduce flooding and storm runoff

Address nearshore water quality issues

BudgetBudget This project has received funding support from the

Province of Ontario’s Showcasing Water Innovation Program ( SWI ).

–– Such support does not indicate endorsement by the Government of Ontario of the contents of this material.

How?How?

ActivitiesActivities Develop specific software for a

rural stormwater management model Model base will be PCSWMM Agricultural best management

practices (BMPs) will be integrated into the software

PCSWMM modified to incorporate:

• Specific modeling of Ag-BMPs• Seasonality in parameterization• In-stream processes• Soil erosion code - MUSLE• Farm drainage

Model Calibration/Validation

• Sensitivity-based radio tuning calibration. Faster & easier

• Multi-year continuous simulation, calibration and validation

• Real event storms used in calibration• Ability to run synthetic precipitation hydrographs

ActivitiesActivities Ongoing monitoring of priority (sentinel) watersheds

including new stations to provide data for model calibration and establish a long term data resource

Projected OutcomesProjected Outcomes Demonstration of positive impact of collaboration,

integrated watershed management Development of commitments past end of project Development of specific software for rural stormwater

management model Field-testing of model for the benefit of more effective,

strategic stewardship projects Transferrable new technology created

Projected OutcomesProjected Outcomes Climate change adaptation Better understanding of rural flow

systems with application to rural flooding issues

Better understanding of BMP impacts More community / landowner

awareness of issues Tools to build more resilient

watersheds

Questions?

Healthy Lake Huron: Clean Water, Clean Beaches – Rural Stormwater Management Model Project